122 SPECIAL EXPRESSIONS: Chap. V. 



as in snarling, and they are not lowered, as when a dog 

 is pleased or affectionate. When two young dogs chase 

 each other in play, the one that runs away always keeps 

 his tail tucked inwards. So it is when a dog, in the high- 

 est spirits, careers like a mad creature round and round 

 his master in circles, or in figures of eis:ht. He then 

 acts as if another dog were chasing him. This curious 

 kind of play, which must be familiar to every one who 

 has attended to dogs, is particularly apt to be excited, 

 after the animal has been a little startled or frightened, 

 as by his master suddenly jumping out on him in the 

 dusk. In this case, as well as when two young dogs are 

 chasing each other in play, it appears as if the one that 

 runs away was afraid of the other catching him bv the 

 tail; but as far as I can find out, do^s very rarelv catch 

 each other in this manner. I asked a gentleman, who 

 had kept foxhounds all his life, and he applied to other 

 experienced sportsmen, whether they had ever seen 

 hounds thus seize a fox; but they never had. It appears 

 that when a dog is chased, or when in danger of being 

 struck behind, or of anything falling on him, in all these 

 cases he wishes to withdraw as quickly as possible his 

 whole hind-quarters, and that from some sympathy or 

 connection between the muscles, the tail is then drawn 

 closelv inwards. 



A similarly connected movement between the hind- 

 quarters and the tail may be observed in the hyaena. 

 Mr. Bartlett informs me that when two of these animals 

 fight together, they are mutually conscious of the won- 

 derful power of each other's jaws, and are extremely 

 cautious. Thev well know that if one of their le^s were 

 seized, the bone would instantly be crushed into atoms: 

 hence they approach each other kneeling, with their legs 

 turned as much as possible inwards, and with their whole 

 bodies bowed, so as not to present any salient point; the 



